Seat-hinge



2 Sheets-Sheet 1. B MESS SEAT HINGE.

(No Model.)

No. 543,88 3. Patented Aug. 6, 1895. v

WEN

UNITED STATES PATENT O FICE.

BERNARD MESQ, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR' TO THE CLEVELAND SCHOOL FURNITURE COMPANY, OF OHIO.

SEAT-HINGE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 543,883, datedAugust 6, i895.

' Application filed December 11,1894. Serial No. 531,613. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

one of the legs or standards of the seat.

, seat-arm c.

Be it known that I, BERNARD Muss, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oleveland, in the county of Ouyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Seat-Hinges; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to seat-hinges for school furniture and other furniture having folding seats.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple, cheap, and substantially-noiseless hinge; and the invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure l is an inside elevation (with the cap B removed) of the best form of my improved hinge. Fig. 2 is an inside view of the cap. Fig. 3 is a sectional View of the seat-arm disk on line 3 3. Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the hinge in the plane indicated by line 4 4 of Fig. 1. Figs 5 and 6 are respectively views of the facing sides of the disks on seat-frame and seat-arm, respectively, in a modified and simplified form of the hinge; and Fig. 7 is a sectional view in the plane indicated byline 7 7 in said figures.

I will now describe the form of the hinge shown in Figs. 1 to 4.

A represents a disk which is integral with It is provided on its lower edge with a rim a, which extends about half around it.

B represents a cap, adapted to be fixed to the disk A by means of the bolt F and the interlocking-lugs b and depressions a on said cap and in the rim, respectively. When so secured together they form the fixed member of the hinge-joint.

0 represents a disk which is fixed to the It lies and is adapted to turn in the space between the disk A and cap B, this disk 0 being the movable member of the hinge-joint. I prefer to construct the disk 0 with a convex projection on one side, which fits and moves in a corresponding concave depression in the disk A. The extent of the movement of the movable hinge member is limited by the shoulders a a formed by the ends of the rim a, which engage with the seatarm 0. The lower edge of the disk 0 may also becut away, in which case a lug a on the rim a willprojectintothespacethusformed. When the seat is down the lug a will engage with the shoulder c and serve as an additional means for supporting the weight on the seat.

Between the disk 0 and the cap B lies a fiat spring-plate D. A bolt F, which passes centrally through the cap B, the plate D, and disks 0 and A, secures these parts together.

On the cap B are formed the boss B, which engages with the middle part of the springplate, and the ribs 1) 17 between which said spring-plate lies and by which it is prevented from turning on the bolt F.

On the disk 0 are the projections c 0, extending toward the cap B and placed at diametrically-opposite points. These projections have beveled ends which are adapted to engage with the spring-plate D near its edges, thereby causing said edges to bend toward the cap B. These projections engage with the spring just before the seat-arm reaches either of its extreme positions, and therefore the spring acts as a buffer, which prevents the sudden coming together of the seat-arm and shoulders a a This prevents substantially all of the noise which would otherwise be caused by quickly turning the seat up or down and thereby bringing the seat-arm in contact with the said shoulders.

In the form of hinge shown in Figs. 5 to 7 the cap is omitted. The boss I) and ribs 1) b are formed on the disk O.the movable member of the hinge-joint. The spring-plate lies against said boss 27 and between the ribs 11 11 being thereby held in fixed relation to said movable member, while the projections c c are on the fixed member of said hinge-joint the disk A.

I When the disk 0 is turned upon the hingepivot it carries the spring-plate D with it; but before the seat-arm c has reachedeither of its extreme positions the edges of said springplate D come into contact with the beveled projections c 0, being thereby bent, with the result of checking the movement of said arm a iases and preventing substantially any concussion between the stops on said fixed and movable members.

Other modifications are possible in the embodiment of the invention, and any mechanic will be able to make them when it is understood that the essential characteristics of the invention are the fixed and movable hinge members, a flat spring-plate lying between them, a boss on one of said hinge members bearing against the middle part of said spring-plate, means for holding said plate in fixed relation to the member-having said boss, and projections having beveled ends which are formed on the other hinge member and are adapted to engage directly against said spring-plate near its edges. c

Iregard the form of the device shown in Figs. 1 to 5 as the best form, because the movable disk is held between the disk A and cap 13, whereby it is less likely to have any side motion in operation.

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. In a seat hinge, the combination of the fixed and movable members hinged together, a Hat spring plate lying between them, a boss on one of said hinge members bearing against the middle part of said spring plate, means for holding the spring plate in fixed relation 0 to said hinge member, and projections with beveled ends 011 the other hinge member,

3. In a seat hinge, in combination, the seat support having a disk A and an incomplete annular rim on said disk, the cap B which interlocks with said rim, the boss I) and ribs b b on said cap, the seat arm, the disk G on said arm lying between said disk A and cap B, the projections with beveled ends on said disk 0, a spring plate E lying between the ribs Z2 Z1 and against the boss I), and abolt F, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

BERNARD MESS. Witnesses:

WILLIAM '1. BLACK, L. F. GRIsWoLD. 

